Gavin Cummiskeyhears from the opposing camps after a nail-biting endgame
LEINSTER JUST know how to win nail-biting Heineken Cup quarter-finals. Harlequins last season and now this.
“We’ve been here before, haven’t we?” said a relieved Leinster coach Michael Cheika last night. “A similar match to last year’s quarter-final, we just hung in there and took our opportunities. Our discipline was abominable, really poor, not good enough to win the Heineken Cup.”
A genuine concern before last night’s epic 29-28 victory surrounded Jonathan Sexton’s kicking statistics. But Sexton dismissed any hint of a Six Nations hangover to rediscover the early-season form, with seven from eight on target, that got him into the Irish starting XV in the first place.
Clermont’s Australian punter Brock James went the other way with a disastrous 50 per cent return from placed balls and three skewed drop-goal attempts. That’s 22 points down the drain. And Morgan Parra missed another penalty shot as well.
“We’ve a very experienced dressingroom full of people who have won the competition already and I think we had to keep our heads” reflected Eoin Reddan. “We made some mistakes defensively but in attack I thought we capitalised quite well.
“I think every player on the pitch was trying to block him (James) down. I think at that stage we had to make them earn the victory. Didn’t jump offside or give away an easy penalty. Your job at that stage is to stay composed. Give them nothing easy.”
“There is a fair bit of disappointment,” said incoming Leinster coach and current Clermont backs coach Joe Schmidt. “The boys felt they had done enough to be right in it at the finish. Maybe had a few balls gone through the sticks we might have won it. You never think you have beaten Leinster and I hope that is the case next year and the years after. Today, I was hoping that was going to be the case.
“I thought Jonny Sexton had a really good night with the boot. He missed one tough one from the sideline. Jamie Heaslip had a big game carrying the ball. He broke two or three tackles every time he carried.
“I was pretty proud of my guys. There was a bit of talk that we would be soft in the centre but they did a great job. I was hoping they played really well but lost. But it was the reverse. I thought we played really well and lost. Good luck to them in three weeks’ time in Toulouse.”
Snippets from referee Dave Pearson’s microphone provide an insight into just how much of a white-knuckle ride everyone watching was forced upon. Moments after Julien Malzieu touched down for Clermont’s early try, just after touch judge Wayne Barnes recommended Pearson go to the television match official, Geoff Warren, Leo Cullen pointed out that Reddan was pushed off the bouncing ball.
Pearson: “I didn’t see that.” Cullen: “Well, surely you can look at that?” Pearson: “No.”
Pearson turned to Brian O’Driscoll as Sexton lined up the penalty that made it 20-10: “I saw him block you. I’ll have a word when I get to him.”
On the hour mark, Pearson gave Cullen the last warning, before a yellow card, for Leinster forwards not rolling away in the tackle as James made it four from nine attempts – 23-21 to Leinster.
Reddan’s disallowed try was due to a simple request by Pearson to Warren: “Try or no?” No. It went back for a Leinster penalty for a high and late tackle on Rob Kearney, which Sexton converted to make it 26-28. His winning three points
The Anthony Floch deliberate knock on that denied Gordon D’Arcy a certain try on 68 minutes?
